Passion Under Fire
by The Jolt Master
Summary: Jessie and James are the targets of assassins! They now must rely on their skill, wit, and love for each other to survive to the next dawn and find out who wants them dead.


Passion Under Fire by The Jolt Master **Passion Under Fire: Part I**  
By The Jolt Master  
  
  


"We want to be a part of Team Rocket."

James remembered saying this over three years ago, standing with Jessie, on that dark night when they arrived at the Team Rocket headquarters. They were brought in and put through a brutal indoctrination, and accepted among their ranks. They were provided uniforms, money, documents on being a part of Team Rocket; it was exhausting. He smiled to himself, remembering how silly Jessie looked in her new Team Rocket outfit. She hadn't developed that much, so she looked like a multi-colored totem pole with a wild pink feather plume. He didn't look much better. They didn't have his size, so it appeared he had to rummage through his father's closet. The bluish hue added to his hair only made him look like his father. But he was really happy. He was a part of Team Rocket and it was his 14th birthday. 

Months of training went by and they were teamed together, since they already knew each other. A year went by and they became known as the best team in the history of Team Rocket. They finished their assignments with incredible efficiency, under budget, and on time. They had picked up the nickname "Jessie James," mainly due to their "cowboy" cunning and ruthlessness they showed when they were capturing pokemon or dispatching those who interfered with Team Rocket's operations. No one could touch them. They had the respect of the entire Team Rocket clan. 

One day, it would all end.

It started with a direct call from the top man himself: Giovanni. They cheered wildly together after hanging up the phone as they had been invited to see him immediately. "Jessie James" quickly made their way to see him at the Team Rocket Headquarters. Once they arrived, they were immediately escorted into his luxurious office. They looked around, noticing the impressive array of artwork, carpeting, interior design, and more gadgets than Radio Shack. Obviously, he profited very well as the head of his criminal organization. Behind the desk, sat the man. A broad shouldered individual in his early forties with dark hair that was slicked behind him. He was dressed immaculately in a dark gray three piece suit, coupled with a blood red tie. His voice was firm and authoritative. 

"There's a special pikachu I need you to get," Giovanni told them. "That's your new assignment." He handed them a dossier of information: pictures, field notes, the works. The pictures showed three kids and a pikachu. They quietly reviewed the packet, and then Giovanni spoke up. 

"What do you notice about this trio and the pokemon?"

James and Jessie looked at each other, a little puzzled by the question, but a sly look crossed Jessie's face as she answered him. 

"They're three little kids walking through the forest, lost and confused by the big world around them."

James smirked at that. His tone was as condescending as hers as he offered up his answer, sounding like a profiler for a murder case. 

"The kids are about ten to fifteen years of age, but experienced campers from the wear and tear on their equipment. But-" 

"What?" Giovanni replied, but already knowing the answer. 

"The pikachu is out of his pokeball," James responded, sounding confused. "It's sitting on the trainer's shoulder like a parrot would for the captain of a pirate ship." 

"Exactly," stated Giovanni. "This pikachu seems to display extraordinary loyalty to its trainer and appears to be remarkably intelligent. The field notes explain that in further detail." 

Jessie and James thumbed through the notes and he was right. All the other teams had failed constantly, using all sorts of different pokemon to capture the pikachu. The pikachu didn't always use its electrical attacks to win the battles either. One battle detailed how after exhausting attacks against other pokemon, the stubborn rodent had taken down a charmander by slapping it repeatedly, but that attack was _not_ commanded by the trainer, Ash Ketchum. James put the dossier back on Giovanni's desk, both smiled evilly. 

"We're your team, sir," said James. "We can get that pikachu for you."

"Of course you can and you will," replied Giovanni. "There's a lot riding on this for you two. You hit this and you'll be the pinnacle of what Team Rocket members should to be. Your future here in Team Rocket, as well as the world, will be your oyster." 

Jessie and James grinned with pride at hearing that, then left his office to capture the pikachu. Giovanni's face scowled with hatred and malice. His voice was a low growl as he muttered. 

"And if you fail, I will make your lives miserable until you catch it."

  


That was over a year ago. True to Giovanni's word, they were in hell. Constant failure, disrespect from other members of Team Rocket, their morale was hitting rock bottom, but they were determined to capture the pikachu. They _had_ to. While James was reliving the past, he smelled the rose he always had with him. The symbol of the fragility and evil that love is. The dark pink silky rose petals could be ripped away so easily while the thorns could stick you with its sharpness, causing pain and heartache. James furrowed his brows for a moment. Why is love so fragile? Why is it evil? More importantly, what is love? Poets write about, writers compose novels based on it, singers wail incessantly about it, and prostitutes sell it. What was the big deal about love? Was he missing something?

The two of them were perched atop a short building in some city they didn't know, or cared about, the name of. He turned and looked at Jessie, who at the moment, was watching The Loser Quartet via binoculars as they trekked along the rather empty sidewalk. He started to look her over. It was a more clinical look over, than a lustful one. They were friends and had grown up together...at least, through their more important years. She had filled out her uniform very nicely at that, what little of it there really was. Put simply, she had turned out to be a very attractive young woman. Not as attractive as some of the other women they've seen in their journeys. He certainly knew what lust was and rather enjoyed it. She didn't seem to share his enthusiasm and would often smack his arm to make come back to the real world and the situation at hand. This time was not about to be any different as her icy blue eyes glared at him.

"James?! Did you hear anything of what I said?"

He blinked and became flushed. No, it was apparent that he hadn't. He smiled a bit sheepishly at having been caught staring at her like a pervert. She scowled at him, then smacked his shoulder forcibly. "Just get the rifle."

James nodded and retrieved the satchel the rifle was being carried in, rubbing his shoulder. He unzipped it and pulled out the single-shot weapon. He checked the air-pressure gauge to make sure that the tranquilizer dart would travel the distance. He laid himself flat, an elbow propped up on the lip of the roof. The scope's crosshairs zeroed in on the pikachu. He aimed just ahead of them to lead the shot. His open eye narrowed with determination, his finger pulled the sensitive trigger, then drew in and held his breath.

An audible crack echoed in the quiet street as the rifle fired. The pikachu fell off Ash's shoulder, the tranquilizer dart working immediately before it even hit the ground. James screamed in blazing agony as he was forced onto his back. He looked at his right shoulder and it was covered in blood, staining his pure white Rocket sweater. Jessie screamed in horror at what just happened and frightfully looked where the shot might have come from. James quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her down as hard he could. Another crack and a bullet whistled over her head. She trembled visibly as she laid on top of him. James' voice spoke harshly, but weakly.

"Get behind...the air vent...go!"

She quickly got up, dragging him by his left hand as he scrambled to keep up, but was too dizzy to focus on running. Another crack and the bullet ricocheted off the rooftop, near his foot. They dove behind the air vent. Jessie landed and placed herself flat against it, whereas James had landed on his now bad shoulder. He cussed sharply and profusely to the sky above in searing pain. Miraculously, he had managed to hold onto the rifle he was using. He weakly tossed it to Jessie.

"Look...through the scope...see who's shooting at us."

Jessie looked at her weakened, bleeding partner. Her shaking hand picked up the rifle and fumbled with it.

"James, I can't do this! I can't handle this!"

James' breathing was becoming more shallow and was feeling cold. She was upside down to him as he peered up at her from the ground. A hint of her panties were visible beneath her short skirt, but he forced himself to look higher at his scared partner. His voice was now a harsh whisper.

"Are you...telling me...that you're too..scared to do it?"

Jessie blinked at him as another crack was heard and the bullet zinged by the metal air vent. She couldn't recall a time that James had ever spoken to her like that. She became rather calm suddenly, now a bit impressed with him showing a little spine instead of always cowering. A little sly smile appeared on her face.

"We'll see who's scared." And with that, she moved around the corner of the air vent and slowly brought the rifle up and pointed it across the street. She peered through it carefully. She gasped at what she saw.

"They're Team Rocket members!" she exclaimed.

As she looked through the scope, the assassin Rockets appeared to be talking to something on their wrist. The gunman's head was turned to face his partner, as the other spoke.

"Shoot...them....Jessie..."

Jessie looked a bit anxious about that, but then she remembered that they were just tranquilizer darts, not bullets. She held the rifle carefully, saw one of their heads, and pulled the trigger. The rifle gave a little pffft and the dart struck the wall just above them. Jessie cursed and reloaded her weapon. The assassin Rockets didn't seem to notice that they had been shot at. She aimed again, held her breath this time and pulled the trigger. Pffft! The next dart hit the back of the skull and within a moment, the member with the rifle keeled over. The remaining one looked at the first one in surprise, then anger, apparently unaware of what happened. She quickly reloaded, aimed and fired again. Pffft! Right in the jugular vein. And he dropped like a rock. She sighed a breath of relief as she returned to James, very pleased with herself. Unfortunately, James couldn't share in her happiness as he had become unconscious and cold.

  
  
  
**Passion Under Fire: Part II**  
By The Jolt Master  
  
  


James woke up and his shoulder throbbed fiercely. He shifted his shoulder slightly only to have the searing pain return in force. His whole body felt sore too, like he had been dragged over a gravel road, but he could not understand why. He broke into a light-headed sweat, groaning unhappily. Jessie quickly appeared at his side. Her usually icy stare seemed to have evaporated, being replaced by reddened orbs of great concern. James' gaze focused a bit and he saw her face touched with small smears of blood. He glanced down to see that her hands had a red tint to them and then he saw his shoulder. Most of the white towels were almost completely dyed red with his blood. His groggy mind surmised that Jessie had saved his life by using the basic first aid training that Team Rocket had taught them a few years ago. His eyes flitted back up to the meet Jessie's. She had already started crying again, but she was smiling.

"Welcome back."

"Thank you," he whispered weakly. "Good...to be back...wherever...we are."

"We're in our hotel room," she started. "Thankfully, I only had to drag you down one flight of stairs. Also, I paid cash for the room, so we couldn't be traced."

Now he understood why his body was sore as she began to carefully remove the blood-soaked towels. He gritted his teeth as she did the peeling. The wound itself was caked with chunks of dried blood and burned flesh from the hot bullet's entry. The curled flaps of skin could be rolled back into place to re-seal the hole, but some blood had started to slowly ooze out of his wound. Jessie quickly got a wad of gauze and stated how painful this was likely to be. James became worried, then started cussing up a storm as she stuffed the wad into the entry wound. She managed to ignore his swearing, but it killed her to cause him so much pain. She just wanted him to get better, so they could figure out their next move. He finally stopped cussing, but was breathing heavily and sweating profusely from the pain. As she finished with the covering bandage, a fairly self-satisfied smile appeared on her face. She spoke with her usual bravado.

"I should become a doctor, since I did so well.

James pulled his head up a bit, providing a rather glassy-eyed glare.

"Real doctors...use morphine," he responded weakly. With that, his eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out.

She pursed her lips at that comment, but he was right. He needed a real doctor to get that bullet out of him. She sighed with fatigue. What James didn't realize was that ten hours had passed from when he had been shot. The first few hours were the most horrifying because he would not stop bleeding. That's when she came up with the idea of plugging up the hole with one of the washcloths from the bathroom. It was only later on that she had found the first aid kit and started using the items in there. After she did what she could to stop the bleeding, she waited, then eventually fell asleep. Her dreams were filled with the horror of his death. Visions of her, dressed in black, next to the James' coffin, while all the flowers around them were on fire, except for the solitary red rose that was laid atop his casket. She was crying profusely. Strangely, she then reached into her chest and pulled out her own heart. It kept beating and then stopped when it turned to glass. The ruby colored heart then broke in half. One half fell to the ground and shattered, while the remaining half turned to stone. At that moment, James had woken up, much to her relief. She did not want to see the rest of the dream, must less try to figure out what it all meant.

She left James' side, relieved to see that he might live, but something had to be done. She strode over to their foot locker that they always had with them. Opening it revealed a series of outfits and costumes. She pulled out a blue outfit and went into the bathroom. While she was showering, trying to scrub out all the blood on her hands, she tried to understand why there were Team Rocket members shooting at them -- trying to _kill_ them! She shook her head. She could not focus on thinking about what happened as her concern for James was overwhelming her mind. She had to get help.

An hour later, she came back out. She was dressed in a professional looking outfit: navy blue blazer, matching mid-thigh skirt, white blouse, nylons, and black high heels. The dark rimmed glasses completed her disguise, but the most striking feature was the return of her natural hair color: fiery red. It was currently tied into a tight bun behind her. As she looked into the mirror again, she still could not recognize herself. Who would have guessed that being yourself could be your best form of deception. She walked over to the sleeping James, leaned over, and gently kissed him on the forehead. It left a small print from her lipstick, but she did not notice it. She had already turned and left their room to seek a doctor, silently praying for James to be safe while she was gone.

As Jessie reached the ground floor, she could see, through the windows of the lobby, the swarms of Team Rocket members on the street. She halted, her heart thumping. It wasn't often that she had seen so many members in one place except at a base of operations or one of their propaganda rallies. But she knew they were looking for her and James; she just wished she knew why all this was happening. She couldn't worry about that now. Taking a deep breath, she focused on the task at hand, quickly glanced at her fake ID, so she wouldn't forget who she was supposed to be, if she was questioned. With that, she pushed the revolving door and was out in the street. The younger male Team Rocket members took immediate notice and simply stared at her. Some of the female members had taken on a rather indignant stance as she walked by, a few even swatted their male counterparts to stop their gawking. Jessie tried not to look nervous or worried, despite her stomach trying to eat its way out of her body. Although, it was a bit flattering, but she couldn't really enjoy it since she was working to get away from them. She had to remember that she was wading through a pool of hungry sharks and if they sniffed her out; it would be over. Two sharks approached her, looking fairly confident in themselves. One had dark hair and was a bit shorter than her. The other was light haired and considerably taller than her. Both were a bit younger than her, but certainly no less dangerous.

"Excuse me, miss," the dark-haired one spoke.

_Here goes,_ she thought, as she cleared her throat.

"Yes?" she replied, letting her eyes make direct contact with his. This made him flinch slightly; advantage - Jessie.

"Er...I'm Ron and this is Jack. We're looking for a couple of friends of ours. Have you seen them?"

Jack produced two photographs of Jessie and James as Ron spoke. Her face flushed a bit, but she stared at the two pictures while she regained her composure. She remembered when these photos were taken -- "for search and rescue situations, in case you go missing in action. Remember, we look out for our own." Glancing back at Ron, she was sure they could hear her heart pounding loudly in her chest, but she hoped her gaze would drill right through him.

"I haven't seen either one of them," she stated. "Is there anything else? I have an important meeting I must get to."

"Hold on for a moment," Jack said. "Are you absolutely sure you haven't seen them?"

She turned a strong glare to Jack. He didn't flinch, so she firmed up her voice instead, needing the authority now or she wouldn't escape.

"I haven't seen either of them," she said firmly. "Now, since you're not the police, you _boys_ won't be detaining me further." With that, she stepped past them quickly. Ron and Jack glanced at either other, then moved in front of her again.

"Wait, wait, hold it," Ron said. "Ah, maybe we, uh, we could discuss this over dinner?" They smiled a bit sheepishly.

She blinked a couple times, then her trademark sly smile returned. She even stepped a little closer to him, letting a single finger trace along the boy's jawline and dropping her voice a sultry octave.

"Hmm...maybe dinner would be interesting. I'm sure we could talk about all sorts of things. But that's all we'd be able to do...because I don't want to get arrested."

With that, she slid past him. Hearing the two of them groan in awed dismay as she added a little hip tilt to her gait, more to entrance them to keep their distance. She muttered to herself.

"Okay skin, you can stop crawling now."

*** *** *** *** 

"Aaron? Your pokemon are all healed and ready to go."

Nurse Joy enjoyed working at the Pokemon Health Clinic. She got to meet kids, help their pokemon and fulfill her dream of helping others. She couldn't help but to smile at what she has accomplished in her life's work as a pokemon caretaker. Jessie entered and moved past the scores of kids that filled the triage area. She was here because Team Rocket would most likely be watching the human hospitals and she didn't personally know any doctors. She approached Joy at the desk.

"Excuse me, nurse," she said, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt. She had never been in a Pokemon Health Center as Team Rocket always took care of their own pokemon.

"Yes?" Joy replied, smiling brightly. Jessie almost felt nauseous from the sheer happiness the woman eminated, but she put that aside, James needed her.

"There's been a...hunting accident, in the nearby forest," she started.

"Oh my goodness! Your pokemon was shot?!" Joy responded. Jessie blinked once, but delighted to see that Joy had provided a better story than the one she had concocted.

"Yes. Yes he was," she said, thinking quickly. "My poor...poor..Meowth. Yes, my Meowth was shot. I managed to get him back to my hotel room, but he needs a real doctor. Please, help me," she finished her story and wiped away an unanticipated tear.

"Oh, you poor dear. Let me get my medical bag and we'll see what we can do."

Jessie was a little surprised that Joy might be a qualified surgeon. After Joy told another nurse that she was going on a house call, the two of them set off to the hotel. Joy explained how often she had done these things, since other pokemon often injure themselves and get all sorts of things impaled into them. Jessie was relieved to hear that. The last thing she needed was a receptionist operating on her long-time partner and friend.

*** *** *** *** 

"You'll never take us!"

Both James and Jessie stood defiantly, ripping their Team Rocket logos off their chests and casting them aside. From the fog that surrounded them, a man with a dark piercing gaze stepped forward. His identity was shrouded by the darkness, but the gun he had could be clearly seen and it was pointed at them.

"I don't want you miserable failures. Not now...not ever."

A shot fired and Jessie screamed. James turned to see the horrific results as a waterfall of blood spurted out of her chest. A wide streak of blood coated Jessie's body as she fell backwards from the force of the shot, hitting the ground hard. His eyes went wide with fear as he knelt beside her, then picked her up, cradling her limp body close to his own. He rocked her gently back and forth, speaking quickly as he cried uncontrollably.

"Jessie? Jessie?! Please don't leave me! I need you. I love you, Jessie. I love you. I love you!"

James looked down at her face. He could see that she had moved on and joined her ancestors. He looked to the sky as his soul tore itself apart.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

*** *** *** *** 

"He's bleeding very heavily. Apply some pressure right here."

Jessie pushed where she was directed and the bleeding almost stopped. Joy worked skillfully, the bullet now visible and within reach of her clamps. James was moaning fitfully and sweating profusely, his eyes still closed.

"I can't believe I'm actually helping you two," Joy said, her usually happy voice taking on an edge of surliness.

"Look, I said I was sorry, but I had to lie to you. I didn't have a choice," Jessie replied. "Team Rocket is trying to kill us!"

"Perhaps you're getting what you deserve," Joy stated flatly, focusing on extracting the bullet. With a little suction pop, she tossed the bloodied bullet into the metal bowl. It clanged around a couple times, then stopped. Jessie glanced at the wad of metal, amazed that something so small could be so deadly. Joy quickly stitched up the wound, then applied some of the healing elements she used to cure wounds on pokemon. It seemed to be working, but not as fast as she was used to. But then, this was a human, not a pokemon.

"I'm finished. Keep the area clean and away from water for a couple days. The healing elements I used should prevent any infection."

With that said, she packed up her equipment and Jessie stood to escort her out. When she spoke, her voice had a very humble tone to it.

"Thank you, Joy," she paused a bit. The words seemed so foreign to her. Her eyes softened some as she continued. "I really appreciate you helping him."

"I was just doing my job; one that I took an oath for," she replied, pursing her lips at her. She sighed and continued, "You're welcome. I hope you two get out of this."

"Me too," she squeaked out, then started to cry. Almost instinctively, Joy went over and hugged her. Jessie unleashed a waterfall of tears as she held onto Joy, as though her life depended on it. Joy patted her back and comforted her. After a few minutes, Jessie managed to stop crying, wiping away her tears with her fingers.

"I'm sorry...it's just," she stuttered, "I..I don't know what I'd do if he had died. I've never been so scared in my life. I mean, they've all just turned against us and I don't know what to do. I just feel so betrayed by everyone I know."

The nurse looked at her for a long moment. She felt a little guilty about what she had said earlier to her. She hugged her again and Jessie started crying all over again. Joy rocked her back and forth, trying to softly shush her.

"Jessie," Joy started, as she pulled her away, so that she can look at her in the eye. "You two are going to get through this, but you need to be strong. I don't know what else to tell you about what's happening. I can only suggest going to the police or to someone who can protect you."

Jessie nodded and thanked her again. She reminded her to use the back entrance, the same one they had come up, so that she wouldn't draw attention to herself. The nurse nodded, then turned and walked down the hallway. Jessie closed the door and walked back to James' bedside, wiping away the tears that streaked her face. She covered the stitches with what was left of the first aid kit. When she finished, she let out a long, tired breath that felt like she had been holding it for the past hour. She caught her breath again as James stirred and slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was the most beautiful woman in the world. This made him sure that he had died, but another blink made it clear that he was wrong on that second count. He was still right on for the first one though. Jessie smiled happily, letting a couple of tears fall freely. He gingerly moved a hand to her face, his shoulder not hurting as much now. He wiped away one of the tears with his thumb as he cupped her cheek. Both of her hands met with his, grasping it firmly. He smiled warmly at her, then gently pulled her face to his own. Jessie was a little taken aback by this, but not for long. Their lips met, softly crushing against each other. His other arm reached up and brought her closer, lovingly hugging her. Her own hands cupped his face, trying not to touch his injured shoulder. Their tongues gently waltzed together and their passion increased as they continued to kiss. Jessie gently broke the kiss to look into James' eyes. He smiled still, but his eyes were closed. He had drifted off to sleep, his lips gently murmuring.

"Love..you."

As he laid asleep, she gazed upon him, a warm smile gracing her lips. She could still taste his kiss upon her, which sent tingling sensations all over her body, like a mild electrical current. She crossed his arms on his chest, then pulled the covers down to expose his chest. As she started to remove her clothes, she kept looking at him, almost studying his muscular definitions. A lustful grin crept to her lips as she finally stepped out of her panties and kicked them aside. She crossed over to his left side, the uninjured side, and slid into bed with him. Despite how turned on she was, she could feel the weight of the day dragging her down to Slumberland. She moved his arm out, so that she could nestle herself in his embrace, in spite of him being asleep. She gazed one more time at his defined chest. While he was fairly thin, he obviously worked out. She traced a slow finger slowly along the six-pack of his abdomen. He felt pretty solid, yet she knew how easily it could be punctured. She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his stomach, then trailed up to his torso. Each kiss provided an opportunity to taste him. She smiled more and more as she continued upwards, finally arriving at James' face. A loving gaze looked over him, studying every feature of his handsome face. She placed a final kiss on his lips, pulled the sheets over them, then curled up in the crook of his arm. Her nude body rested comfortably against his lean form and she quickly fell asleep. The outside world still hunted for them, but that didn't matter now. That was a problem to solve for tomorrow.

  
  
  
**Passion Under Fire: Part III**  
By The Jolt Master  
  
  


James woke up, his shoulder throbbing slightly, but certainly not to the extent it had been yesterday. But the rest had done him some good and was certainly feeling better. His stomach growled about being neglected and Jessie stirred quietly next to him, curled up on his chest. He glanced down, then looked around the room.

Suddenly, his eyes bolted open.

There she was; sleeping peacefully in the crook of his arm. He noted the bare shoulders on her. Still in shock, but very curious, he carefully lifted the covers. He gazed for a long time at what he saw. Her smooth curvy hip laid against his briefs as her breast rested against his chest. Her silky skin moved slowly as she breathed rhythmically. Her leg was curled around his and her arm was draped over him as well. His own breathing felt accelerated, but he was in fact holding it.

It was the most erotic thing he had ever seen.

He finally put the covers down and sat there rather flabbergasted. What happened? The kiss. He faintly remembered the heavenly kiss and his profession of love...he hoped. He glanced under the covers again. Okay, he must have said it. She apparently felt the same way. Actually, she felt very good. He let out a little chuckle at the lustful thought, then looked over at her face. So peaceful. So beautiful. His feelings for her were true; he was confident of that. The dream of her being shot flashed through his mind and he realized that he would lay down his life for her. Although, he hoped it would never come to that. Being shot once was enough for him.

While he didn't know much about love, he knew that he wanted to explore it. He already knew that his epiphany regarding love wasn't that deep either. He became a bit angered when he thought it over. For the past three years, he had been taught -– no, programmed to believe that love was evil. All this time, he had been denying, and denied, feeling love. Now, with Jessie in his arms, his understanding of what he felt for her, he realized that he had been denied the very thing that made life worthwhile. "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." Where had he heard that? He remembered hearing it over a year ago, after Jessie and he recited their motto. Some girl had said it in response to his side of the motto, before they kidnapped her pokemon or whatever it was that they did to her. It always struck him as curious, but he hadn't understood it, or cared about it, at the time. Now the wisdom of the statement crashed in on him like a tidal wave. He happened to glance over at the table on his right side and spotted a rose in the midst of the empty first aid kit and a couple of bloodied towels. He picked the rose up and smelled it. God, it was so wonderfully sweet. He looked at it again, denunciations of truth and love echoing in his mind. It became more apparent to him now that truth and love were strong energies being utilized by Giovanni for his own nefarious purposes. He tossed the rose into the trash can. His shoulder flashed with pain, but it quickly dissipated. He smiled to himself. Now, he understood the power of truth and love.

He looked down at Jessie's face again, then leaned down and kissed her forehead. She stirred and woke up, her eyes gently opening. Her draped arm hugged him as he brought his own arm down to hold her close to him. She then crawled on top of him. James could feel every inch of her smooth body against his own. Needless to say, this aroused him a great deal, but his eyes were locked on hers. Both of them were smiling at each other.

"Good morning," she whispered softly.

"Good morning, my love," he replied, gently stroking her cheek. Managing to tear his eyes away from her eyes for a moment, he glanced up at her hair. He smirked a little bit.

"So _that's_ your natural hair color..." He smiled at her, knowing that he was worthy of the remark, provided he washed out his own color. "Let me see it down...out of the bun."

"Someone's feeling better," she said, but smiled shyly at the request. She then sat up, straddling him at his hips. James gazed up at her in complete awe as she reached behind her head and pulled out all the little clips and ties used to hold her hair in place. Jessie blushed some at James' drooling. _Now_ she was flattered by the gawking, especially since it was from someone she cared about. She struck a couple of subtle poses, hoping he would like what he saw. James continued to be awestruck by her nudity. His eyes were locked on her exposed breasts. Her hair now cascaded down her back, some of it falling in front, as though trying to salvage some form of modesty. Jessie smiled very slyly at him, even dropping her voice to a sultry tone.

"Aren't you going to say anything about how incredibly sexy I am?"

For a moment, he couldn't. But he was able to say something; his voice seemed to have been humbled by a greater power.

"My God, Jessie, you are so beautiful."

When Jessie heard this, she almost responded with the usual sense of bravado and arrogance about her looks. What stopped her was the extreme sincerity in his voice. He really meant every word of it. Her insecurities suddenly rose to the surface and she bit her lower lip in uncertainty.

"Do you mean that, James? You really think I'm beautiful?"

"Oh God, yes," he answered as he reached up and gently cupped her face, pulling her to him. "Dear God, yes," he whispered as he lovingly placed his lips upon hers and passionately kissed. Their arms entwined one another, just after Jessie reached back and flung the sheets over them. Kisses and moans could be heard from beneath the sheets, then a pair of briefs found itself airborn, landing near Jessie's blouse. There was an audible, lustful moan from Jessie as she exclaimed two words passionately.

"Oh James."

They made love all morning and afternoon, taking a short break to wash the color from James' hair. This took a considerable amount of time, since she was straddling him and neither had bothered to get dressed that afternoon. Once that little chore was done and James was now sporting a head of dirty blond hair, they snacked on some food that was in their foot locker. Both of them were incredibly hungry and enjoyed feeding each other bits of food they had. Once their physical hunger had been taken care of, their lustful hunger for each other flared up again. Their lovemaking lasted long into the night. Some hours later, they were asleep in each others arms. Their sweat drying in the cool evening breezes that blew in from the partially open window. They were both a little sore from the frequency, but the smiles on their faces told mountains about their experience.

*** *** *** ***

The next day arrived and James stood naked by the window, looking down at the thinning crowds of Team Rocket members. The police had been trying to clear them out, since they were becoming a nuisance to the other businesses on the street. While he was not wholly suprised that they were still there, he understood, at that moment, that they were on a deadline. They had to leave soon. Jessie woke up and saw him with his back to her. She smiled lustfully as she simply looked at his backside.

"We'll need to leave soon," James said, hearing Jessie stir, but not looking behind him.

_He's got such a cute butt!_ she thought, smiling even moreso, but managed to reply with, "I know. But where are we going to go? Who's responsible for shooting at us?"

"Well," he started, "I've been thinking about that. If Team Rocket is trying to kill us, who directs Team Rocket?"

_I definitely need to get my hands on his butt! Mmm!_ she thought, then replied with, "Giovanni. He's behind this! He must be! He's the one who hands out all the major assignments, especially the high priority ones. So where do we go?" Jessie cast the covers off and walked over to James, so that she could put her lustful thinking into action.

"We go to the police. Get some sort of protection. Maybe we can testify against him, since we've done a lot of things under his direction, so they might be able to arrest him for that...it's not much, but it's a start."

_It sounds like a good idea,_ she thought, but out loud, she said, "Your butt feels _so_ good!" Both her hands clutched his cheeks, then she turned really red. An amused smirk crossed James' face as he looked back at her.

"Did I say that out loud?" she said, providing a very sheepish smile. He nodded in agreement, but smiled at her as he dropped the window shade.

"Yes, but I do admire your focus on the topic at _hands_," he replied. And with that, they embraced each other and kissed lustfully. Their hands freely roaming each others bodies.

*** *** *** *** 

"I've never seen so many Team Rocket members in one area," said Brock, as he looked through some binoculars from a small hill, near to the town. The sixteen year old boy continued, his spiky black hair waving a bit in the wind. "They must be looking for someone important."

"I wonder who it might be," said Misty, as she combed out her bright red hair. The thirteen year old girl had recently taken on more concern about her appearance, in hopes that Ash might take some notice. So far, it had not been working and was trying to think of a different or more direct approach.

"I dunno. It's--" replied Brock. At that moment, he looked up at the hotel windows and saw Jessie's nude form striding over to James's nude form. Brock's jaw just dropped and moaned quietly at the loveliness that Jessie possessed. Misty noticed this and took the binoculars from him. Brock sat there in a lovestruck trance.

"What is it, Brock?" she asked as she put the binoculars to her eyes. She spotted the same window and saw James's nudity in the windows. "Oh my," was all she could whisper and felt her whole body become flushed. The window shade had dropped and Ash came over to them at that moment. Pikachu wasn't far behind as he was looking for something to nibble on.

"Hey guys. Any ideas about the big crowd of Team Rocket members?" the dark-haired eleven year old asked, his red and white cap slightly askew. Brock and Misty looked at each other, both of them very red. Brock quickly stood up.

"Ah, I just remembered something. Er, I need to..uh, go."

With that, Brock bolted out of sight. Misty stood up too, but much more deliberately and turned to face Ash.

"I wonder what that was about. You'd think he saw another girl or something," Ash said, watching Brock take off. Misty came up very close to him, smiling at him and even still a bit flushed. Her heart was pounding, but she was determined. She had a new inspiration.

"He did," she simply replied. Just as Ash turned to ask another question, she jumped him. Her lips meshed with his as she quickly put her arms around his neck and quickly took him to the ground. Ash did not have a chance against her. She finally had her means of expressing her feelings to him.

*** *** *** *** 

An hour later, after forcefully willing themselves _not_ to touch each other, so that they could get past the Rockets and escape to the police station, James was putting the final touches on his moustache and goatee. The facial hair color matched the wig he was wearing: salt and pepper, but more salt, to make him look much older. He was also practicing his inflections, so that he sounded like a much older man. Jessie was dressed the same way she as before when she left the first time. James had a hard time keeping his eyes off her. She noticed it and simply smiled.

"Come on, you dirty old man, we need to get out of here."

"I know, I know. I'm just glad that I'm not dressed as a woman this time."

"True," she grinned mischieviously. "But you are wearing my underwear."

James could only redden with embarassment as a smile crossed his lips. He did manage a reply.

"But I'm so turned on by the fact that you're _not_ wearing them."

It was her turn to blush now, then the two of them giggled happily. After a moment, they became serious and prepared to leave. They both recited their identities to each other, so they wouldn't forget who they were. James picked up a cane to add to the effect and use as a weapon if it got ugly. They also decided to leave the footlocker behind. They were not coming back to Team Rocket and it would make them pretty obvious with all the Team Rocket logos pasted on it. They were about to open the door when Jessie felt a wave of nausea pass through her. She quickly went into the bathroom. James waited a bit nervously. He heard her put a glass down on the sink, then she opened the door. Her color had returned and she was dabbing the sweat off her brow, using the last clean towel. She nodded that she was okay and that it must have been the adrenaline surge that made her sick. James was obviously concerned, but elected to take her excuse at face value. They went to the door again, opened it and entered the hallway.

The hallway was lined with doors on both sides, each with their own room number. The wallpaper was a gaudy olive and white striped design that had a vinyl sort of texture to it. As they walked to the elevators, they both spotted a group of five Rocket members turning the corner at the opposite end of the hallway. The one out in front was barking orders while a couple of them went to the doors and knocked on them.

"Remember: These two used to be the best of the best. Their disguises were always top notch. But they're scared and wounded. Finding them will not be difficult. They should be very easy prey."

Both Jessie and James paused in the hallway and looked at each other. The Rockets were canvasing the entire hotel, searching for them. James put a hand behind Jessie, gave a little push and walked in step with her. His eyes narrowed and whispered sharply to Jessie.

"Let's show them how wounded and scared we are."

Jessie was not as sure of herself as he was, but she followed his lead. They reached the elevators and pushed the down button. They waited quietly, their hearts pounding fiercely as fear set in. They certainly would do what they could to avoid the Rockets, but --

"Excuse me?"

They both turned, Jessie looking a bit more worried than James did, but that quickly passed. It was the leader of the canvasing group. His tone was polite and cordial.

"My name is Harry. I was wondering if you two might've seen a couple of our associates."

Harry produced the same two photographs that Jessie saw on her first trip out. James had remembered when the photographs were taken as well. James shook his head, as did Jessie.

"We've never seen them before," James replied, his voice taking on a gravely texture. He gave a couple of coughs to go with it. "Pardon me."

Harry nodded as he took the photographs back, keeping a subtle leering eye on Jessie. Jessie became very uncomfortable being under his gaze, not so much that he was searching for her, but that he might be having very lustful thoughts about her made her a bit queasy. James noticed his gaze and also noticed that the other Rockets had already moved past the elevators and were knocking on the doors down their wing. It was just the three of them now and the elevator dinged to announce its arrival. James' heart pounded with the spontaneous plan his brain just cooked up.

"Well, I won't keep you two then. Thank you for your time," said Harry.

"Perhaps you could answer us a couple questions," James said, his voice tense, but normal. Harry looked at him in surprise at the voice change, but it was too late. James had already swung his cane into Harry's groin, then whirled around clockwise, slamming the cane into Harry's skull, which forced him to stumble into the now open elevator. A surprised Jessie miraculously didn't scream or yell when James did this, but reacted quickly by pressing the 'L' button for the hotel lobby, once she stepped inside the car. James came into the elevator car and the doors closed behind him. Harry groaned in pain. A few floors passed and James flipped the emergency stop switch. The car stopped with a little lurch. James then propped Harry up into a sitting position, then wedged his head against the wall by putting the head of the cane under his chin and pushing up. The other end of it was jammed into the floor, effectively locking his skull into place, like one might put a chair under a doorknob to prevent entry. James leaned on the cane a bit with his knee, to add a bit of pressure to Harry's head. Jessie crouched with him, still a bit surprised by James' impromptu idea, but her mindframe was very professional now.

"And my questions are," James started, an angry growl in his voice now, "who sent you? Who is behind all of this? Why did a couple Rockets try to kill us? And...if you don't tell us the truth, Jessie here will rip your throat out with her very sharp nails."

Jessie, as if on cue, reached out for Harry's exposed throat and gently raked his skin, making it point to tickle the rings surrounding his larnyx. It had the desired effect on poor Harry.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Harry sputtered through clenched teeth, his jaw being forced against his skull, making it hard to speak. "I know...ugh, nothing about...killing you. My team...was sent to find you. Ow! Nothing more...I swear!"

James pursed his lips at this, then looked at Jessie. "Rip his throat out. He's lying." 

Jessie nodded, then gripped Harry's throat firmly and he squealed for mercy.

"I don't know...anything!! The orders...came directly...from Giovanni!" Harry pulled out a folded sheet of paper from under his Rocket monogrammed sweater. James took it as Jessie kept her grip on his throat. James skimmed through it quickly, then recited some of it for everyone to hear.

" 'Jessie and James are traitors to the extreme and must be sought out and brought to me directly, so that I may serve punishment for their transgressions against us and the very foundation which upholds the ideals of Team Rocket.' "

Jessie and James' hearts sank upon hearing this, but at least they had confirmed who was behind their assassination. James motioned for her to let go of his throat, then he pulled the cane away. Jessie stood up, looking a bit uncertain about what James was up to. He was even trying to help Harry to his feet. Once Harry was on one knee, James pulled back a fist and let it fly. Harry never knew what hit him as his head slammed against the back wall of the elevator and he fell unconcious to the floor. With his enemy down, he searched him for his entry ID badge. He pocketed the memo and the ID inside his jacket pocket, then undid the emergency stop. He quickly pressed the '2' button. Jessie understood what he was trying to do. Stop on the second floor, then take the stairs to the lobby and go out the front door while everyone was distracted.

It worked like a charm. The Rockets crowded around the elevator to investigate Harry's injuries and they slipped through the front door. They headed towards the tallest building in the city, which they presumed was City Hall. They had just passed by an alleyway when Ron stepped out in front of them. Oddly enough, he was by himself. Before he could even say "Are you sure you won't reconsider my dinner offer?" to Jessie, she cold-cocked him and he unceremoneously dropped to the ground, falling back into the alley. She quickly went down and grabbed his ID. James was a little stunned by this, but was able to keep walking with her, as though nothing had happened.

"You go girl," he said, smiling amusedly at her.

"I am woman. Hear me roar!" she said, grinning at him.

"Oh, I heard you roar plenty of times this morning and last night."

Jessie blushed at his statement, but smiled happily.

"And I can hardly wait to do it again," she replied. James turned a bit red, both of them chuckling a bit nervously at the prospect of making love again. They continued to City Hall and hopefully, the police station.

  
  
  
**Passion Under Fire: Part IV**  
By The Jolt Master  
  
  


Jessie and James arrived at the police station intact. No one followed them and no one recognized them. Even though they were in the safety of the police station, no one seemed to notice them. Looking around at all the policemen, detectives and various people being interviewed, both citizens and criminals, they saw one officer standing at what appeared to be a front desk, similar to what is seen at a hotel. The desk itself was a dark mahongany color that was on a raised dias almost a foot above the main floor, so that the officer would have to look down at the person to discuss whatever the problem might be. They tentatively approached the front desk while the dark haired officer behind it wrote down some notes. James coughed politely to get his attention. He looked up from what he was doing, not looking too pleased, but not upset either.

"May I help you?"

"We, ah," James started, looking at Jessie, who returned the look. James looked back to the officer, his voice filled with a light uncertainty. "We ah, need to talk to someone."

"Well, I'm right here," the officer replied, looking a bit annoyed now.

"Yes, er, we can see that," stammered James, trying to compose himself to so that he can finally betray Giovanni; the man who had been like a father figure to him for the past few years. Jessie seemed to know what he was thinking and took up the reins.

"We wish to see Giovanni go to jail," she blurted out. She took another breath, trying to calm her nerves. "He tried to kill us."

At that moment, an Arcanine leaped up with both forepaws on the desk. Several small streams of fire jetted out of its nose, as though the name Giovanni inspired some sort of hatred within the almost regal hellhound. The officer turned on the dog.

"Striker, get down. Now!"

The pokemon complied and went back to being on all fours. He then turned to his other side and called across the room.

"Jenny! We've got a couple of kids who want to talk about Giovanni."

"Thanks, Harrison," came the reply. With that, Officer Harrison and Striker walked away from the front desk. Jessie and James were positively horrified at the officer's announcement to the whole station, coupled with Striker the Arcanine's appearance of battle-readiness. To their surprise, no one looked ready to attack them or tried to take them out.

Officer Jenny walked to the front desk and stood were Harrison had been before. The slim brown-haired woman looked at them carefully. Jessie and James both began to feel very uncomfortable, thinking that this wasn't such a good idea. Maybe leaving would be better--

"I know you two," she said, leaning on the front desk, her eyes narrowing a bit at them and her voice dropping. "Jessie James! You're Jessie and James of Team Rocket!"

Fear set in now, but Jessie was able to overcome it first.

"Yes, yes we are," she started, her voice dropping also. "But we're not with Team Rocket anymore. In fact, they're trying to kill us! And we think Giovanni is behind it all."

"Why does he want you two dead?" Jenny asked.

"We don't know," James responded this time. "All I know is that I was shot by a couple of Rocket members." He tapped his shoulder to emphasize his point. "That sort of mission would most likely be a high priority type mission that only Giovanni hands out himself. When we managed to escape, he sent out a directive to everyone to find us."

James then handed her the memo he took off Harry from the elevator. Jenny read it over and nodded.

"May I keep this? For evidence?"

The ex-Rockets nodded their approval, then she gestured for them to follow her. They walked through a maze of desks, chairs, other cops, the din of ringing phones and crying victims to reach their destination of a small meeting room. Jenny peeked in and then entered, seeing no one inside. Jessie and James entered quickly and Jenny locked the door behind them. She gestured to have them sit at a small wooden table that had three chairs. The room itself was bare of any decorations, save a large mirror on one wall. The table had a tape recorder and a single microphone. They realized were in an interrogation room as Jenny pulled out a tape and popped into the recorder and set it into motion.

"August 15th, 2000. Time: 1:06pm PDT. Interviewing ex-Rocket members, Jessie and James. Also known as 'Jessie James.' Last names unknown. Their biographies and criminal files can be referenced by numbers TR-4829 and TR-4830. The latest violation believed to be committed by them is the attempted kidnapping of a Pokemon through use of an illegal tranquilizer. Violation of Pokemon Penal Codes 932.4 through 934.6 and Human Penal Code 12280, subsection b, illegal possession of an assault weapon and Human Penal Code 12022.53, subsection 6, discharging of said assault weapon in violation of Section 220, assault with intent to commit a specified felony."

Jessie and James looked at each other rather uneasily. It was already going very badly. Jenny then addressed them. Her tone was firm and professional.

"Now, what do you know about Giovanni and is it worth enough to keep you two out of jail?"

**** **** **** **** 

A few hours later, Jessie and James had explained the details of the past few days and recounted just about every criminal act they had ever done under Giovanni and Team Rocket's direction. While both of the ex-Rockets felt some relief for confessing to their sins against society, Jessie was strangely emotional. She had been crying softly on James' shoulder for the past fifteen minutes while James held her. The officer looked tired, but she was smiling. She was finally going to bust the son of a bitch.

"Okay," she began, "you've given me a lot of information that would send him away for a while. But a good lawyer, which I know he has, will get him off of most of these charges you're making. Something very solid is going to be needed." She paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "I need you to get Giovanni to confess to trying to kill you."

Both Jessie and James blanched at her words. After a minute of stunned silence, Jessie spoke up, sounding almost hysterical.

"You want us...to go _back_ there?? Are you crazy?! How are we supposed to do that? We barely escaped with our lives to get here! We came here for protection!"

"I wish I were crazy," replied Jenny, her tone very somber. "If you were able to get him to confess to trying to kill you though, I can assure you that two counts of attempted murder gets minimum twelve to twenty years...maybe even more. It's very convincing to a jury to hear a man confess on tape, since you'll be wearing bugs." She looked at them steadily. "But I need your help, otherwise, he'll be back in business in a couple years at best."

"If you do this," she continued, "we can hide you through Witness Protection until he's convicted."

"But what if he isn't convicted?" Jessie said, her eyes red from her crying.

"You get that confession and he will be," she replied, the authority in her voice didn't waver at all. Jessie and James looked back at her, still rather stunned by her request. They looked at each other, then back to the officer.

"We need some time alone," said James softly.

The officer nodded, then left the room. They were alone and they both sighed very heavily, both in weariness and grave concern.

"Jessie...are you sure about this? I mean, if we do this, we could get killed!"

"I know," she nodded thoughtfully, looking a bit pale and very tired. "But if we don't do this, we'll be on the run forever. We'll be always be looking over our shoulders. They may eventually capture and kill us."

James looked at her uncomfortably. He did not want to hear that, but she was right. It was either seek protection by going into the lion's den or run forever and never be sure they'll see the next dawn.

"Okay," he replied softly, taking her hand in his and squeezing it firmly. "Let's do it. Let's get Giovanni."

From behind the one-way mirror, Jenny smiled broadly as James' voice came over the dark hallway's little speaker. She directed another officer to get the bugs and outfits they would need.

*** *** *** *** 

Jessie and James had been moved to a room with bunk beds and handed their new disguises: black Team Rocket uniforms. Jessie guessed they kept runaway kids here when the police needed to contact parents to pick them up. James was not too concerned about the room's function. He was focusing on a plan to get Giovanni to confess. He stripped down to nothing, the flat metallic box already strapped to him and the little microphone taped near his neck, along with the connecting wire taped down the middle of his chest. Jessie wouldn't be wearing one, because her outfit was too small. He was glancing over it while Jessie had already gotten her tight one piece outfit on her, accentuating her curvy body. The police were right, there was no where they could hide a bug on her. As she looked at herself in the full length mirror, she furrowed her brows a bit at where the hem of the tube dress stopped. She pulled it down some more, but it would not go any further than her butt.

"I can't believe how short this is," she muttered. James looked at her and smiled rather lustfully.

"Neither can I."

Jessie smirked at him in the mirror, then reached up to push her hair away when the dress hiked itself up and over her hips. James enjoyed the lovely view of her backside.

"Oh Jessie, you are _so_ good to me."

She had not bothered to pull her dress down as she turned around to face him, a sly smile painted on her lips. James' jaw dropped some at the lovely vision of her sex. She then stepped over to him, tilting her hips purposely. James dropped most of his clothes, then brought Jessie close to him, making skin contact below the waist. Their pulses were already accelerating. They smiled at each other, then kissed lovingly and passionately. After some long moments, they stopped. They knew that people were waiting for them and needed to get going. James held up her panties from a single finger, smiling broadly.

"Did you want these now?"

Jessie giggled and took them off his finger, then swatted him playfully.

*** *** *** *** 

The two of them walked toward Officer Jenny's office, dressed in their black Team Rocket outfits. James looked the same as he had before when he worked for Team Rocket, but now dressed in black. Jessie had on her one piece outfit, white elbow length gloves and matching thigh-high heeled boots. Jessie kept tugging at her hemline to try to keep it over some imaginary line of comfort, but it wasn't working. Several transients passed them, being escorted by other cops as they continued down the hall. Jessie picked up their stench and immediately felt sick to her stomach. James noticed it, but couldn't do anything as Jessie immediately bolted for the ladies' room. Some time passed and James became concerned for her. He was about three seconds short of going in after her when Jessie stepped out, looking a bit pale, but apparently feeling better. Something in her eyes was different, like some revelation had been made known to her.

"Jessie, are you okay?" James' voice was filled with concern for his lover.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she replied, absently waving him off. "It's just my nerves. This week has been a harrowing one."

"I agree, but that's twice in one day. Maybe we shouldn't do this."

"No," Jessie replied quickly. "No, we need to do this. We _must_ do this. Otherwise, Giovanni wins."

James nodded his head and put an arm around Jessie's waist. They continued towards Jenny's office to go over a plan to arrest the crime boss.

*** *** *** *** 

"Okay," Jenny started, as they sat in the back of a moving van, bouncing and lurching a bit from the unevenness in the road, "put simply, once you get into Giovanni's office, get him to confess to giving the order to kill you two. That's it. Once he says it, we'll be there in thirty seconds to bust him. You can even leave, which I encourage you to do. There's no reason for you two to be in danger for any longer than you have to be. We'll have it recorded over here."

She gestured to the electronic recording equipment built inside the van. Apparently, this was so that the police could record the conversation with James' bug. Jessie and James nodded, understanding what needed to be done. They had the ID's from Harry and Ron, so they should be able to get in, provided that they didn't deactivate them if they had been discovered as missing. They soon stopped in front of a very large structure, just at the edge of the town. There weren't too many people about, so Jessie and James hopped out the back of the unmarked white van and quickly crossed the street to the main entrance. No one really seemed to take note of them as they stood in front of the door. The security cameras focused on them as they both swiped the borrowed ID's in opposite slots on the left and right side of the door. A little red light flashed for a second, then both of them lit up green. The door clicked open and they let themselves inside, closing the door behind them.

"Whaddya think their chances are, Jen?" asked one of the officers with a headset on.

"Not good, Steve," she sighed as she watched them go in and silently wished them luck. "But they're the best chance we have."

*** *** *** *** 

A small light lit up on a black phone and a voice came over the intercom.

"Mr. Giovanni, sir. This is Thompson, down in Security. Ron and Harry have returned to the building."

"Good," he replied, pulling open a small top drawer, revealing a .22 pistol. "Let them proceed."

*** *** *** *** 

Jessie and James strode confidently towards Giovanni's office, which was located on the fifth floor. They got to an elevator and waited for it to arrive. Despite their confident appearance, they were both scared out of their wits. They kept looking around casually, making sure that no one was eyeing them suspiciously. No one was. Finally, the elevator arrived and they stepped in. Just as the doors almost closed, a quick fist came between the crack of the two doors and stopped them from closing. The ex-Rockets gave a little jump as two Rockets in white outfits stepped in, laughing.

"Didn't you hear us yelling to hold the door?" chuckled the blond one.

"Ah, no, sorry. I was focused on something else," James replied.

"Yeah, I can see that," remarked the other one, a brown-haired guy, as he looked Jessie over, smiling. "Hey there."

"Hi," Jessie replied rather curtly. She knew she had to play it up better than that and _definitely_ not hang on James' arm. They would immediately become suspicious if she did that. She became her old self, smiling slyly.

"So what's the news of the day, boys?"

"Harry's still in the hospital," replied the blond one. "You probably heard about it. He got beaten by those traitorous bastards, Jessie and James. Man, I would love to kick their asses!"

"Yeah, and er, they're so clumsy and stupid, too," James threw in, forcing the uneasiness in his voice to dissapate.

The other Rockets laughed heartily at James' comment. The elevator reached the third floor and they got off, still laughing and commenting about Jessie and James.

"And their hair!! Man, how goofy can you look with dark pink and blue hair? They're obviously not too bright either."

James' anger was only shown by his tightening grip on the elevator's handrail. He muttered through clenched teeth.

"Those arrogant sons of b--" The elevator doors closed and they continued to the fifth floor.

Once they reached the top floor, they walked down several empty corridors to a door. It was a simple wooden door, Giovanni's name was marked in gold lettering. They both took a deep breath and whispered to the bug that they were going into the office.

They entered a nicely decorated room with a couple of sofas and chairs, along with a table of magazines and several plants placed about to give the room a sense of balance. Further ahead, a young, very pretty woman was typing at her computer when she saw them come in. She had the Rocket logo as a brooch, instead of wearing a uniform like everyone else did. She smiled cordially to them, her voice rather perky.

"May I help you two?

James was almost drawn in by her attractiveness, but shook it off as Jessie spoke up.

"We're here to see Giovanni."

"Do you have an appointment?" she inquired, the smile faded quickly.

"He's expecting us," Jessie replied, not missing a beat. "We're Butch and Cassidy."

"One moment then," the secretary picks up the phone and punches up a couple numbers. The ex-Rockets look at each other a bit nervously, but an observer would not have noticed it. They looked as arrogant as before, as though they had never left the Team Rocket organization.

"Okay," the secretary said, smiling brightly as she hung up the phone. "He can see you now. Just go through the door behind me."

The ex-Rockets nodded and went through the door. They found themselves in a short hallway that led to another door similar to the one they entered to meet the secretary. James looked over at Jessie, his brows furrowed some and his voice hushed.

"What's with the cowboy names? It's bad enough we were 'Jessie James' when we worked for Giovanni."

"Tell me, 'Sundance,' if this doesn't feel like high noon at the O.K. Corral," she whispered her reply.

James pursed his lips, but nodded his agreement. He only hoped that it wouldn't be a one-sided gunfight.

They opened the door and let themselves into Giovanni's office. The appearance of this office was more spartan than the other office they had seen over a year ago. There was a large window facing in the same direction as the front entrance.

"Hello, Jessie and James."

The ex-Rockets both wanted to crawl away and hide themselves as Giovanni slowly swiveled around in his large leather executive chair, no longer facing the window behind him. The coldness in his dark piercing eyes made them both very fearful. The evil smile that crossed his face did not help matters either.

"And, once again, you've wasted more of my money and resources by hiding from me. You both have such a knack for that. I have scores of Rockets looking for you two and you wind up here. Although, the missing badges tipped me to the possibility that you might show up."

James grasped for Jessie's hand and held on tightly. She did the same, her other hand protectively reached over for James' arm. Neither of them said anything, mostly out of a profound fear of the crime boss.

"So here you are," Giovanni continued, staring intently at both of them, "no doubt wondering why I sent out a couple of assassins to finish you two off."

They both blinked. He confessed! Why was that too easy? They could just leave now, but James spoke up, his voice quivering.

"We-we've always been loyal to you. We always tried our best for Team Rocket and we were the best!"

"'Were' James," replied Giovanni, his demeanor very calm. "That's the key word here. You both 'were' -- past tense. As in, no longer 'are.' You both are a costly liability. Do either of you bumbling idiots have any idea how much you have cost me this past year in trying to complete your last assignment?"

Jessie and James looked at each other a bit sheepishly, but it was apparent to each other that they were still pretty scared of Giovanni. He continued to discuss his reasons.

"It went into the millions. Any business executive knows when to cut their losses and that's exactly what I did. I chose to execute you two because of what you know about Team Rocket, the inner workings, and me. Despite the failed attempt, your loyalty to me would make you too stupid to go to the police. And now..."

The executive reached into the open drawer, drew out the small caliber pistol he had there and made it visible to the ex-Rockets. Jessie managed to squeak out a comment.

"That's...that's a nice gun you have, sir."

*** *** *** *** 

Downstairs, the police worked furiously to bypass the security system. The thirty seconds had already gone by and everyone was getting a little tense.

"Jenny! Jenny, come in! Over?" crackled Jenny's shoulder radio. She clicked the button and responded.

"What's up, Stevens?"

"Giovanni's got a gun."

"Oh God," she exclaimed as her eyes widened. She whirled around to the other officers. "Marcus! Fillmore! They're in danger! Blow the door!! Blow the door **_NOW!!_**"

*** *** *** *** 

James immediately stepped in front of Jessie to protect her. Giovanni stood up now, gun in hand, then stepped around to the front of his desk. He looked at them, shaking his head.

"James, James, James. Don't you remember the evils of truth and love? Love makes you feel invincible, making one act with chivalry and gallantry!" Giovanni's expression darkened as he pointed the gun at him. "And chivalry is dead."

Giovanni pulled the trigger. The resulting shot echoed loudly in the sparse office. James screamed in agony as he bent over and dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach. Jessie screamed in terror at seeing her lover get shot again. Right after that, an explosion rumbled throughout the building. The office swayed a bit, then stilled as Giovanni whirled around and looked out the window. He could see smoke billowing up from the entrance below. James let out a pained cackle as Jessie went down to help him.

"Not so..stupid, eh?" James ripped off the transceiver from his stomach. The small stainless steel box was bent and the bullet had lodged itself into the casing. The microphone cord dangled from it uselessly. James tossed it aside and worked to stand up with Jessie's help. Giovanni was livid as he turned back to the ex-Rockets. The dark, murderous look in his eyes had returned with a vengence. His deep voice matched his eyes.

"And clever makes you dead too." With that, he raised the gun again. They both looked at him in pure abject fear. Another crack from the pistol and Jessie screamed again. She fell backwards as a waterfall of blood gushed from her chest. James turned to see her hit the ground. He yelled for her and quickly scrambled to her side, cradling her in his arms. Tears flowed freely as he rocked Jessie's lifeless body, crying out her name repeatedly, telling her to not to leave him. James' worst nightmare had come true as Giovanni laughed evilly and drew a bead on James' head. He pulled the hammer back.

The police stormed in with a thunderous crash. The door had been kicked off its hinges and a number of guns and rifles cocked at Giovanni. Voices shouted at him to surrender and drop his weapon. Giovanni was visibly shaken by the show of force and dropped his gun on the desk behind him. The police swarmed him quickly and cuffed him. Jenny strode in, her lips pursed tight at the ex-Rockets. She kneeled down to comfort James, placing a pair of fingers on Jessie's neck. James wept profusely still, but a little smile crossed Jenny's face.

"She's still alive, but barely."

*** *** *** *** 

James sat outside the ICU a number of hours later. But it felt like days. His eyes were still bloodshot from crying, but they were of hope now as the doctors worked to save his lover's life. He prayed silently for the first time ever. He wanted so much for everything to be normal, but he knew that it wouldn't be. Not a for a long time coming.

"James."

He looked up from his chair and saw two boys in black Rocket uniforms, similar to James'. They didn't appear threatening, so he stood up to face them. The shorter of the two spoke up.

"Ah, look, we're.....we're sorry. Um, we're the ones who shot you."

James looked at them solemnly, not saying a word. The boy continued.

"We're gonna testify against Giovanni also. I mean, ah, you know, we were just following his orders."

"Following his orders?" James replied quietly. "Since when is it ever right to kill someone because they ordered you to?"

Both of the boys were a bit speechless as the gravity of their past actions sunk in. They looked at each other, then back at James. Not having anything or knowing what else to say, the two of them turned and left. The guilt they would carry would last for the rest of their lives. James shook his head a bit and sighed heavily. He was about to sit down when the doctor came out. James turned around and his face immediately changed to that of great concern.

"Is she going to be okay, doctor?"

"Yes, she will. We were really concerned for a while because of the blood loss, but she's very strong and has a lot to live for." The doctor smiled as he said that.

James sighed with great relief to hear that she was going to be okay. Something in his brain clicked and he looked at the doctor with a puzzled expression.

"A lot to live for? What does that mean?"

"Well," the doctor started, his face beaming a bit, "I have some even better news for you."

The nurse standing in the reception area some fifty feet away happened to glance up at James and the doctor as they spoke. She saw James take a step back with a little smile on his face, moved his lips, then fainted, falling flat on his back. The doctor shook his head and chuckled. He then walked over to the concerned nurse and smiled.

"It's okay. He handled the news pretty well."

  
  
  


**Epilogue:**

A young short haired blonde woman smiled happily as her nine-month-old little girl wobbled her way along the edge of the sofa, 'cruising' towards Mommy with a big toothless grin on her face. When the baby reached her, the mother cheered delightfully and picked up the baby and hugged her tight. At that moment, her husband walked in the door.

"Marcia? I'm home!"

"In here, Mark. I'm watching Janice walk along the sofa."

"Really?" Mark quickly made his way to where they were, his long black hair, tied in a ponytail behind him, flopped back and forth, so he wouldn't miss the excitement of his daughter walking. The TV was on and it was tuned to "The Trial of the New Millennium." The Team Rocket crime boss, Giovanni, was on trial and had been for the past eighteen months. Today was the big day that the jury would announce their verdict. Both Mark and Marcia watched the screen for a moment, eyes riveted to the jury's foreperson, an older woman in her fifties. Marcia stood up and held onto Mark, looking very anxious. Mark was feeling the same as he held onto her.

"We the jury," the woman started, "find the defendant....guilty on all counts."

A loud cheer went up in the courtroom. The judge pounded his gavel for silence. Marcia put a hand to her lips, whispering softly, her voice quivering a bit as a tear threatened to fall from her eye.

"James...it's finally over."

"Yes," James whispered back. "Oh dear God, Jessie, it finally is."

They hugged each other strongly, crying with joy as their nightmare finally ended. After letting their tears flow freely, they kissed each other passionately. Little Janice had crawled over to them and stood up, wanting to be included. They laughed and picked her up joyfully and hugged all together. Now, Team Rocket would be no more and Witness Protection would let them have their lives back. They could live as a family should -- without fear and always together in love.

  
  


THE END


End file.
